Isaiah 9:1-4
1 There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
3 You have multiplied exultation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
4 For the yoke of their burden
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
…those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.
Jesus didn’t wait until everything was perfect to be born into this world. He showed-up right in the middle of the Roman occupation of Palestine. He lived, died, and was resurrected in an environment of constant social and political unrest. Jesus knows what it is to “live in a land of deep darkness.
Today our nation is in the midst of another time of deep darkness. It’s frightening, demoralizing, and heartbreaking. Living in the darkness also gives us an opportunity to see the light much more clearly.
The Light of Christ has come into the world, and it cannot be overcome. It shines most brightly in the darkest places. We see it today in the outpouring of care and support for the most vulnerable people among us who are in danger and living in fear. We see it in all the people who come out in the cold to stand in support of their neighbors, and in those who continue to nonviolently speak truth to power even while they’re being dragged away in restraints. I see it most clearly in the images of my brothers and sisters in the clergy who are choosing to put their lives and liberty on the line to follow the example of Jesus.
These are dark times, but the Light continues to shine in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can. Set me as your light wherever you need me today. AMEN